Haunted
by lyviel
Summary: The ghosts are worse here, in Vietnam, in a war zone. At least there's someone nearby to offer support when the screaming only he can hear jolts him awake.


Klaus woke up gasping, terror gripping him as he was overwhelmed by the screams of the dead, all clambering to be heard, voices filled with rage or terror or both. As if he could ever get away, he nearly scrambled off the edge of the cot before he realized where he was and what was happening, so instead he just sat there with his head in his hands.

Nothing particularly unusual about all that, he did it often enough, but what was unusual was the handsome man that was suddenly at his side, a hand tentatively placed over his own as he whispered words of comfort. Honestly Klaus was taken aback, usually everyone ignored his nightmares, writing it off as just silly Number Four trying to get attention. But of course Dave only saw someone in distress and Klaus was so shaken he couldn't help but lean into him.

It was a little funny, Dave probably thought he was plagued by the usual nightmares of the war and while that was partly true, right now it was the screams of ghosts that were getting to him. But it did help somehow, when Dave sat close beside him like this, rubbing circles onto his back, voice low and calm so as not to wake the others. Something else to focus on, to ground him, and slowly his trembling subsided.

"You good?" Dave asked when his breathing finally became something close to normal.

"Oh just peachy," Klaus said, disappointed that he didn't sound as chipper as he wanted.

"It's okay, plenty of guys have nightmares here," Dave assured him and Klaus laughed, a shaky thing.

"Oh I'm sure they'll just keep getting better from here but that's not what woke me up," he said, rubbing his temples, too tired and sick of the never-ending noise. War zones weren't exactly quiet and the voices certainly weren't going to stop. "The ghosts are just particularly loud tonight. Very chatty."

There wasn't really any point in keeping it a secret now was there? Klaus already knew he came across as weird, fucked up in many fascinating ways, seemingly muttering to himself when the ghosts got too pushy and he gave in and talked to them if only to shush them. But even without that he was quite the character and never toned himself down no matter the situation. It wouldn't be long before the rumors started so why not just come out and say it. Besides, this was Dave and for some reason he wanted to tell him the truth.

Dave had an easy going calmness about him no matter the situation and he always gave Klaus the benefit of the doubt no matter how ridiculous he was being, he just took it all in stride. Dave had a quick wit and there was an intelligence behind those baby blues that told Klaus that he wasn't so easily fooled whenever Klaus deflected with a blatant lie or a exaggeration. Then again, the truth of it all was far more bizarre than Klaus could ever have dreamed up so who knows if Dave knew what kind of puzzle he was piecing together even with all the little hints, like the foreign slang and Klaus' sudden appearance in his tent that first night.

"You hear ghosts?" Dave asked, eyebrow raised, slight smile on his lips. Not the typical response Klaus was used to but he could roll with it.

"Sure do. See 'em too. And they won't _shut up_." He hissed the last bit at a nearby ghost even if it wouldn't take the hint. "Maybe they should get a hobby. Probably make the afterlife a lot more interesting too." With a sigh, he rubbed at his eyes hard as if that might help. Instead it only made it worse, as if the dead were simply waiting in the dark and behind his eyelids. He opened them again quickly, staring down at his hands instead. "God I could use a drink. Or something stronger."

He must have looked particularly shaken because Dave picked up the back rubbing again and it was ridiculous how nice that felt. Dave probably thought he was full of shit like everyone else did, but that didn't seem to matter. Could Dave tell where his jokes ended and the truth began? Did it even matter? Klaus seemed genuinely upset and that was apparently enough to warrant Dave's support. Why did this man have to be so fucking _good_?

"No alcohol here, but how about this?" Dave got up and Klaus tried not to think about how empty the space beside him suddenly felt. Thankfully Dave was back a moment later, a pack of cigarettes in hand.

"Ah, thanks," Klaus said, pulling one out and Dave lit his lighter, holding it up for him. There was something weirdly intimate about it as he leaned forward and lit his cigarette.

"You always been able to see ghosts or is this a recent development?" Dave asked, lighting a cigarette for himself as well before tossing his lighter over onto his own cot.

"Oh god, wouldn't that be a fun surprise, seeing ghosts for the first time in a war zone," Klaus shuttered.

"I imagine it'd be a bit of a shock no matter where you are."

"Fair," Klaus said, chuckling as he took a long drag of the cigarette. "But nah it's been my entire life."

"Must suck," Dave said when he seemed unwilling to share anymore information. Klaus didn't exactly want to relive the horrors of his childhood, not right now anyway. He had enough to worry about as it was.

"Nah, it's great," he said sarcastically, throwing his hand out for emphasis as he leaned an elbow on Dave's shoulder. "Lots of fun getting to see the mangled corpses even after the bodies have been taken away. Oh the good times I've had!." Dave had his arm around his waist now, squeezing gently to give him some sort of silent support and Klaus took another drag of his cigarette. "I don't even know what I'm still doing here, putting up with this shit."

"I'm not sure any of us do," Dave replied.

"No, I mean, I shouldn't actually be here, I should just split, go anywhere but here."

Klaus had found himself in a war zone, gunfire and death everywhere, but some cute guy had smiled at him and instead of getting out like a sensible person he'd decided to stay and see where things would go. How ridiculous was that? Was his connection to his old life really that flimsy? Or was he just that suicidal?

Then again, he'd already fucked up his life pretty spectacularly, no friends and a family that probably wouldn't even notice if he wound up dead. Honestly they were probably waiting for it given the number of times he'd nearly ODed. And then there were the assassins and torture and the end of the world and maybe there wasn't much difference between staying and going back. He'd likely wind up dead either way. It didn't matter, nothing did.

"Would you?" Dave asked suddenly, pulling Klaus out of his thoughts and throwing him off completely. "Would you just leave?"

"Wouldn't you, given the chance?" he asked, suddenly genuinely curious.

"I don't know," Dave admitted, looking around thoughtfully at all the sleeping figures. "When I came over here, I thought my life was over, and don't get me wrong it's been hell, but the people I've met?" he shot a meaningful glance at Klaus but quickly looked away again, bringing his cigarette to his lips before he continued. "In a way it's like my life's only just started. Looking around at you all— this war is bullshit but if I can help anyone, I guess I'd be okay with staying."

_Fuck_, there was Dave being too good again. This was why Klaus hadn't just immediately run for the hills. He'd found himself worrying about this ragtag group and in the end he realized he didn't want to run away, not when it meant leaving someone like Dave behind. He made Klaus want to be the kind of person who would fight to help others too. Besides, it felt like he was a part of something here. They were all brothers in arms and Klaus already knew what it was like to be part of a team he hated himself for how much he missed it, but what can you do?

The briefcase was shoved under his cot and he'd be lying if he said he didn't find his mind wandering to it in the heat of battle, pinned down by gunfire and deafened by explosions, or haunted by the bloody twisted remains of people begged for his help. Despite it all, he felt like he was actually making a difference. He couldn't help the ghosts no matter the time period, but maybe he could help the living. And maybe someone actually wanted him around here.

"I suppose you're right," he said, but things were getting much too serious. "But let's be honest here, I'm wasted in a place like this."

"What do you mean?"

"Just look at me! These army fatigues don't flatter my figure at all." He was encouraged when Dave chuckled, bumping his shoulder into him lightly.

"You are an interesting man," Dave said, smiling, a look in his eyes that made Klaus forget how to breathe for a moment. It was soft and fond and he never wanted Dave to stop looking at him like that.

"I have been accused of many, so many, things. Being boring is not one of them." He winked. "But it's so dull here! If we were back home, I could show you a good time, take you to all the best places to party. The ones I haven't been thrown out of yet, of course."

"Tell you what," Dave said. "When we get out of here, you can take me to your favorite places, then I'll take you to some of mine. I think we've earned a bit of partying."

"Only if I can judge you for how lame your places are. I'm sorry but you can't compete with the expert."

It was an impossible dream, who knew if they were even getting out of this alive, but it was a nice distraction from all the death. And it won a laugh from Dave and really wasn't that the point of all of this? Soon the sun would rise and they'd be forced to face another day of death and trauma, but Klaus felt a little stronger now. It all didn't seem quite so overwhelming after these stolen moments together.


End file.
